Under the School Turnaround Pilot Program Act ("Act"), the department of education must create and develop a four-year school turnaround pilot program for schools that are identified as priority schools and are selected to participate in the program by the department. Schools that are selected for the program by the department must develop a school turnaround plan. Present law provides that in the three school years from the 2022-2023 school year through the 2024-2025 school year, each school in need of intervention must implement the school's respective school turnaround plan.
This bill prohibits the department from requiring a school in need of intervention that exits the pilot program pursuant to this bill to continue implementing the school turnaround plan developed by the school.
SCHOOL IN NEED OF INTERVENTION
Under present law, a local board of education must require a priority school to participate in the school turnaround pilot program if the department designates the school as a school in need of intervention, and such a school in need of intervention is required to remain in the pilot program until the conclusion of the pilot program. By September 1, 2021, the department must have identified priority schools designated as schools in need of intervention to participate in the pilot program.
Despite the local board of education requiring a school to participate in the pilot program as provided above, this bill prohibits a local board of education from requiring a priority school designated by the department as a school in need of intervention for purposes of the pilot program to remain in the pilot program, if (i) the school is designated as a Title I school, (ii) serves students in any of the grades 6-8, and (iii) has not met the priority school exit criteria established by the state's federally approved Every Student Succeeds Act plan established pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act by the end of the 2023-2024 school year. The local board of education must notify the commissioner of education and the independent school turnaround expert under contract with the board pursuant to the Act, in writing, that the school in need of intervention is exiting the pilot program.
TERMINATION OF SCHOOL TURNAROUND COMMITTEES
Under present law, the members of the school turnaround committee must serve until the end of the pilot program, unless a member ceases to qualify for the position. This bill adds that the school turnaround committee for a school that exits the pilot program pursuant to this bill terminates on the date the local board of education notifies the commissioner of education and the independent school turnaround expert under contract with the board pursuant to the Act, in writing, that the school is exiting the pilot program.
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL TURNAROUND EXPERTS
Present law provides that the department is required to establish the minimum qualifications required for independent school turnaround experts, and to provide LEAs with a list of at least two qualified independent school turnaround experts. This bill provides, notwithstanding the contract payment requirements for independent school turnaround experts as provided for under present law, that the independent school turnaround expert under contract with a school in need of intervention, which exits the pilot program pursuant to this bill, must be compensated for all services provided to the LEA under the contract through the date on which the local board of education notifies the commissioner of education and the independent school turnaround expert under contract with the board pursuant to the Act, in writing, that the school is exiting the pilot program. Under this bill, the independent school turnaround expert is prohibited from demanding payment for any services provided to the exiting school in need of intervention after such date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-6-3703(d)(1), 49-6-3703, 49-6-3705, 49-6-3706(b)(1), 49-6-3706, 49-6-3707